I read this article in today's Arizona Republic and I wanted to share it here because it was so interesting. It seems that in many cases, a nurse practitioner is replacing doctors for routine appointments. As the article explains, this is often due to a lack of primary care physicians in the offices. Here is the link:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/02/21/20090221nursepractitioners0220.html
I have often ended up being treated by a nurse practitioner as well, and I have to say, I have found them more often than not to be extremely knowledgeable, unrushed (a rarity these days in the doctor's office), and willing to both talk and listen to me.
So while I'm not happy that there is such a shortage of physicians, I personally think the quality of care I get from NPs is really good.
What has your experience been with nurse practitioners? Do you also end up being treated by one more often that your primary care physician? Have you been as happy with or even more happy with the care you received?